WoaD: Chapter Three

Wings of a Dream:

Chapter Three:

I awoke early the next morning, due to the Elf moving around preparing for her day.  My head shot up immediately in alarm.  It took a second for me to shake off the fog of sleep and remember where I was.  I looked myself over once again and sighed.

Guess I'll be like this a while.

She turned around and looked at me in mild surprise.  “I didn't realize that you were awake yet.”

I wasn't, I just can't sleep with others moving around me.

“My apologies, I did not mean to disturb you.”

No worries, I doubt that you were planning on having me over last night.  I don't believe we were properly introduced last night, I'm Fayathon, and you are?

“My name is Moriana, pleased to meet you Fayathon.  You said that you were an unbound dragon, is that correct?”

I sat up, stretched and looked at her.  I did, why?

“Well the only green dragon I know of is the egg that King Galbatorix has under lock and key.”  She emphasized 'king' with an acidic tone, as if it burned her tongue to say it.

What's your point?

“The eggs that remain have a spell on them so that the dragons inside will only hatch for a Rider, but now there is a wild dragon, and Galbatorix will want try to either kill you or capture you.”

I swallowed hard.  I was, to everyone here less than a week old and there was already someone that would want me dead.  Moriana saw the look of fear in my eyes and smiled.

“There is no reason to fret, little one.  He cannot harm you here in the heart of this forest.”

Her kind words did little to allay my fears.

Would you care to tell me why there are so few dragons left?

“You mean you don't know?”

I wouldn't ask if I did.  I said with a hint of sarcasm in my voice.  After all I can't learn everything in a day.

“Now you confuse me, what do you mean, 'in a day' surely you have been here longer, right?”

Nope, I just hatched yesterday.  I said with a smug expression on my face.

She looked at me like I was mad.  I just sat there with a lupine grin on my face and said,  I am one odd dragon, and I have the tale to prove it.  I'll be happy to tell you mine after I get the answer from you.

“Very well, then.  Long ago..”  She recited the tale of the Riders, their glory and their tragic downfall.  I listened with great intent.  By the time she had finished, I was downtrodden about the whole mess.  I resolved then that I would help, for the duration of my life, the ideals of freedom and the establishment of a stable ruler.  I would not stand idly by and let the world fall to ruin around me.

Alright, thanks for telling me that, I can't imagine that it was easy.  Now for my end of the agreement, and please hold all of your questions for the end of my story.  She nodded and watched me with great intent.  I told her of my life, and how it was, my hobbies, my friends, and my family.  I paused a little way in when I started talking about my family.

“Fayathon, is there something the matter?”

Nothing that you can fix.  I just realized that I may never see any of those people ever again.  My whole life has been turned upside-down.  When I was young I used to have dreams about being a dragon, the wonderful adventures in other worlds and dimensions, but the thought never occurred that I would have to give everything that I know up just to have it.  I wonder is this worth the price that I was forced to pay?

“I hadn't thought of that, my, I'm so sorry.”  She sat down next to me and picked me up, just to hold me, and for a minute, everything was alright.  It felt good to have someone there that had the same effect on me that my family did at home.

I continued my story, and answered her questions that she had afterwards, and then fell silent.  I need to be alone for a while.  Would you mind if I crash here tonight as well?

“I hope you don't plan on trying to fly into my home Fayathon it wou-”

No, crash is an expression back home that means 'to sleep' roughly.

“Well if that's the case then no I don't mind, go on now gather your thoughts and reflect on what has happened, I'm sure that it will all work out in the end.”

I hope so.

I turned from her and walked out into the city.

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I walked towards the Palace, staying unseen in the shadows.  Every so often someone would see me, but my demeanor told them that I wasn't in the mood for light banter.  I arrived at the palace and quickly located one of the guards.

I reached up and bit down lightly on his pant leg.  Excuse me?

“Hmmm...   Oh!  You're the little dragon that Gleadr brought in aren't you?”

Yes I am, and I have a name it's Fayathon.

“Alright, Fayathon what can I do for you?”

Do you know where I can find Gleadr?

“I imagine that he would be up with Oromis at his house.  It's a bit from the city, but not hard to find.”

Can you show me the way?

“Certainly, just one second.”

He called out to another guard and notified him that the post would be empty for a bit and he needed someone to cover for him.  

He turned to me, “Just a formality really, no one gets in this city with all of our wards and the forest itself protecting us.”

To err on the side of caution is the wisest path.

“What's that?”

Just a piece of wisdom from back home.

We walked a ways, well he walked, I was forced into a light run to keep up.  We got almost three quarters of the way there when....

Hold on a second. I was gasping for breath, I hated running and his walk was forcing me to do so.

“Are you okay?”

I hate running, that's one of the reasons that I need to see Gleadr.

“But you're okay, right?”

I'll be fine, just let me catch my breath.

I sat down and licked my chops, I was not in the mood for running any more.  I caught my breath and then we proceeded onward to Oromis' home.  When we got there no-one was there.

Go ahead back to your post, I appreciate you showing me the way here though, I'll wait for them to get back.

The guard left and I laid down in front of Oromis' home.  I didn't know how long they would be so I got comfortable.  I laid there in a sunny patch of ground and spread my wings to maximize the warmth.  I started to doze off, when I heard a distant thump, thump, thump.  I looked up and saw Gleadr and Oromis en route home, so I stood up and stretched, ready to greet them when they landed.

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Hey!  Gleadr!  Can I talk to you please?

He looked at me and chuckled, Of course young one, what is it that you want?

Well, you know my story, and that I was once human, but the knowledge of this does me no good.  I need to learn how to be a dragon, hunting fighting, fire breathing, that sort of thing.

You are not old enough, not by a long shot, to breath fire, but I will teach you what I can.  It will do my good to see a youngling learn and prosper as he should.

I was overcome with joy, I would learn about dragonkind on a whole new level, from the best teacher I could ever have asked for: one of the dragons of old.  My training started that day, and I learned all that the old dragon could teach me: tracking, and hunting; fighting; flight; and when I was old enough, how to sustain a flame.  I did well enough for Gleadr, and I could feel the joy in his mind when I successfully completed one of his training exercises.  Over the next year I grew large, my body became lean, and strong, my mind became sharper, and my senses were honed.  I grew to love to spend time with the scholars in my off time to learn the ways of the Elves and their tales and myths.  I also grew attached to the Queen, she was one of my best friends.  I stopped living with Moriana as her house would no longer fit my frame, but remained in contact with her.  I took to the treetop lairs of the Riders, as there were none left.

All was well in my new world, until, one day we lost contact.